[Harald B]

The website of Abborado Studios, the people behind the upcoming Once Upon a Time: Earth, now gives an "Account Suspended" error message. I've been suspecting it to be vaporware for a while now, and I suppose this is the final nail. Quite a shame too, there was a time when I was really looking forward to this one.

[Stupot]

I know... I was gutted when I logged in the other day to find the site down... I've been checking in on it quite regularly for the past couple of years, and was starting to get very angry about the lack of updates, especially when six month ago, one of their team promised some information that very weekend, and then we never heard from him again.

To anyone who's interested. Here are some screenshots I found of the game from a couple of years ago:

http://www.gamepad.de/neuvorstellungen/files/Once-Upon.pdf

I can't believe they just gave up on it like that.

If adventuregamers.com could find out what happened that would be really cool.

[Trunkyo]

Wow, I haven't thought of Once Upon a Time in Japan: Earth in a long time. Ben Keeney, the lead designer and one of Abborado's co-founders used to post here at the AG forums under the name "Once A Villain", but it doesn't look like he's posted for over two years.

[Christian IV]

I am sorry to hear this, yes the site is indeed gone for now. It was a very promsing game and i think that quite a lot of it was completed...the music was a favorite of mine. We will see what we can find out.

Press Release

Dallas, TX, January 16, 2007 – Abborado Studios is proud to announce the first entry in their series, Once Upon a Time in Japan: Earth. The series aims to transport players to various periods in Japan's storied history, giving them a look at the inner struggles of a country bound by tradition and ruled by the warrior class. "Earth" is the first title of a three part arc and is planned for a Q4 2007 release.

"We feel very strongly about our product and the future of this series. The subject matter and setting of this game are, as far as we know, unprecedented in the adventure genre and we are putting forth a massive effort in an attempt to make the games that we've always dreamed of playing," says Ben Keeney, Lead Designer and Co-Founder of Abborado Studios.

Abborado's other Co-Founder, Jared Morante, agrees: "What we're doing with these games will hopefully enthrall players and we strive to excel in every area, from art, to gameplay design, writing, character development, and score. The team we have assembled is quite passionate about the project and extremely talented. We can't wait for gamers to get their hands on this series."

"Earth" is a third-person, point-and-click adventure for the PC that tells the story of Zenjiro, a samurai who left his clan during a time of war, seeking a life of peace with his family. Unfortunately, a tragic event sixteen years later forces Zenjiro to explore Etchu province looking for his wife, children, and other survivors. Along the way he will meet many characters including Hanbei, a fearsome ronin with a mysterious past, and Shiho, the bright young daughter of a famous Noh theater performer.

Furthermore, Zenjiro will discover that not all is as it seems outside the province. The military campaigns he thought to be a thing of the past have once again bubbled to the surface, and in an effort to keep the peace there is little freedom allowed for the people. Yet again, Zenjiro's country appears to be changing dramatically as he seeks his own reasons to continue moving forward.

Features include:


•High resolution, digitally hand painted scenes, featuring scrolling and detailed animation.
•Traditionally hand drawn and animated characters, inspired by classic Disney and Studio Ghibli films.
•An amazing original score, combining traditional Japanese instrumentation and arrangements with modern scoring methods and techniques.
•An immersive setting that allows players to explore a province in 17th century Japan.
•A vast assortment of puzzles, painstakingly researched to fit the time period and locale, while revealing bits of Japanese culture and history to the player.
•Authentic Japanese voice acting
•A captivating storyline, focusing on well developed characters, that builds to an exciting climax.

About Abborado Studios

Abborado Studios is a Texas based LLC founded in 2006 with the goal of creating the very best in interactive entertainment. The company's flagship series is Once Upon a Time in Japan. Visit Abborado's site at http://www.abborado.com.